Unlike many months of celebration, National Hispanic American Heritage Month is not tied to one calendar month. It starts on September 15, a sort of super-Independence Day, encompassing celebrations for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, followed by Mexico on September 16, and Chile on September 18. It then runs through the second Monday in October for Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, and ends October 15.

Redubbed Latinx Heritage Month by some celebrators, in both cases it honors both personal and communal histories, and contributions to life in the United States year-round. Texans are accustomed to many Mexican traditions and cultural fusions, but this month also stretches to family ties in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, making for an endlessly diverse opportunity to get to know Austin businesses, artists, and community members.

These 10 recommended events cover traditional Mexican and Tejano music and dance; as many accordions as possible; contemporary theater; Austin community leaders and their work; tireless food trucks from across the cultural gamut; and more. Ride a bike to learn about history, or get moving with some social dancing. The best part is, most of these are happening on different days and times, so there should be plenty of time to explore what Hispanic Heritage Month means to you.

"Cultivating Community through Art: Sam Coronado's Series Project and its Continuing Legacy" opening reception
The late Sam Coronado, a former Austin Community College professor whose pioneering Chicano art movement works are celebrated by the Smithsonian, advocated for cultural diversity through screen printing. This retrospective display draws attention to other artists Coronado taught or inspired, both in Austin and farther removed. An opening reception on September 15 from 6 pm to 8 pm gives a free first look at the exhibit, which runs through December 8. No RSVP required.

Austin Latino Heritage Bike Ride
This September 17 bike tour is modeled after the Black History Bike Ride, making 15 stops over 7 miles of Latino community markers. The event description specifies “counter narratives,” suggesting that this tour may include familiar landmarks in a different context, taught in a series of history lessons as the group progresses. The group stops first at A.B. Cantu Pan American Recreation Center, and finishes up at ESB-MACC's 15th Annual Viva México: A Quinceañera! Celebration. The organizer is posting updates on Instagram and Facebook.

"Salsa for the Soul!" fundraiser for Latinitas, AVANCE, and Con Mi Madre
Three major Austin organizations for women, girls, and families — Latinitas, Avance, and Con Mi Madre — are teaming up on September 17 to throw a salsa-centric fundraiser at the Latinitas headquarters. Corazon Latino Dance Studio will teach a dance lesson to get visitors up to speed for a live set by DJ Kickit. Tito's Handmade Vodka and Maudie's Tex Mex have food and beverages handled. Also joining the party are local vendors, and some guests will win raffle prizes. Tickets ($35 or less) available on Eventbrite.

ESB-MACC's 15th Annual "Viva México: A Quinceañera! Celebration"
The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center is 15 years old, so it’s quinceañera time. This will be the last onsite event before the MACC undergoes construction. The annual event is pulling out all the stops on September 17 with a range of live music from traditional performers to a DJ collective, panels about identity and community, an artisan market, and a lowrider car show. The free event runs from 5 pm to 10 pm, with food trucks on hand. Register on Eventbrite.

“Night Birds — An Intimate Celebration of Art + Dance”
Reprising a popular 2021 event, The Cathedral and Ventana Ballet are teaming up once again for Night Birds, a 360-degree dance performance. The scores are by Hispanic composers, representing (originally or retrospectively) nocturnal birds on September 22 and 23. The Cathedral is also completely re-curating its display for the first time since opening in 2019, featuring works from local Hispanic women and nonbinary visual artists, for the entire month. Tickets (starting at $45) available on Eventbrite.

Teatro Vivo and Austin Public Library's Victory
The Little Walnut Creek Library really is little, but it’s big on community. In the heavily Hispanic Rundberg neighborhood (head to this H-E-B for specialty items), it’s hosting bilingual theater company Teatro Vivo on September 24 from 10:30 am to 11:30 am. It’s a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, but it’s also a way to start a conversation about Victory, the after-school tutoring program in collaboration with AISD. Admission is free and snacks are provided. This event is for all ages.

Squeeze Box Market Day
A short drive from Austin into Kyle will be worth it for this event for squeeze box lovers — that’s the accordion, for traditionalists. On September 24, from 10 am to 6 pm, Mary Kyle Hartson City Square Park will be filled with accordionists playing Tejano music and anything else that might suit the instrument. This is a special Hispanic Heritage Month edition of Kyle Market Days, with all the same local vendors as usual. Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs and coolers. No RSVP required.

Makuyeika Colectivo Teatral: "Andares"
A conversation about heritage would not be complete without Indigenous voices. Makuyeika Colectivo Teatral, a theater collective that focuses on Mexico’s Indigenous stories, shares a multilingual piece on September 24. The stories told by one live musician and three actors will be in Spanish and Indigenous languages with English supertitles on the stage, representing everyday Mexico and scenes from its “remote corners.” Tickets available at texasperformingarts.org.

Mariachi Herencia de México
One mariachi performer is especially interesting during this month of heritage; famous ranchera singer Pedro Infante’s granddaughter, Lupita Infante. The younger singer and her huge band of 14 musicians from the United States and Mexico promise “a vibrant celebration of Mexican music and culture” at the Long Center on October 13 at 8 pm. The group is based in Chicago, but employs some Texans making a homecoming on this tour stop. Tickets ($29-64) available at thelongcenter.org.

Sazon Latin Food Festival
Restaurants all over Austin are offering specials for this month, but they’re hard to track down. The Sazon Latin Food Festival is eliminating the guesswork, bringing together a dozen food vendors together from Caribbean, Central and South American cuisines to close out Hispanic Heritage Month on October 15. This fiesta will take place at Ani's Day & Night, a relatively small venue for so many vendors, so visitors are encouraged to register now on Eventbrite and arrive early for the 5:30 pm to 9 pm food market.